Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the Conference Marking the 50th Anniversary of the
Restoration of the Lawful Seat of the People’s Republic of China in the United Nations and
delivers an important speech in Beijing, Oct. 25, 2021. (Photo by Li Xueren/Xinhua)
Chinese President Xi Jinping called the restoration of the lawful seat of the People’s Republic of
China in the UN “a victory for the Chinese people” and “a victory for people of the world,” at a
conference marking the 50th anniversary of the restoration of the lawful seat of the country in the
UN held on Oct. 25.
He gave a high evaluation of the significance of China’s restoration of its lawful seat in the
international organization, saying the past five decades since New China restored its lawful seat in
the United Nations have witnessed China’s peaceful development and its commitment and
dedication to the welfare of all humanity.
Xi raised five proposals for the world to follow the prevailing trend of history, which was thought-
provoking and triggered wide attention from the international society.
The founding of the UN was a milestone in humanity’s pursuit of peace and development. As a
founding member, China was the first to put its signature on the UN Charter. On October 25,
1971, the UN General Assembly at its 26th Session adopted Resolution 2758 with an
overwhelming majority to restore all the rights of the People’s Republic of China and to recognize
the representatives of the Government the People’s Republic of China as the only legitimate
representatives of China to the UN.
Ever since, the Chinese people have had their representatives in the UN, and the institution has
grown in scope, representation, and authority. The commitment of the international community to
the one-China principle has been significantly consolidated and enhanced, and the force for world
peace and development has become stronger than ever before.
Just as President Xi stated, “the restoration of New China’s lawful seat in the UN was a
momentous event for the world and the UN. It came as the result of joint efforts of all peace-
loving countries that stood up for justice in the world. It marked the return of the Chinese people,
or one-fourth of the world’s population, back to the UN stage. The importance was significant and
far-reaching for both China and the wider world.”
President Xi concluded the Chinese people’s great achievements and contributions over the past 50
years. He said for these 50 years, the Chinese people have demonstrated an untiring spirit and kept
to the right direction of China’s development amidst changing circumstances, thus writing an epic
chapter in the development of China and humanity. They have stood in solidarity and cooperation
with people around the world and upheld international equity and justice, contributing
significantly to world peace and development.
Building on achievements in national construction and development since the founding of New
China, the Chinese have started the new historical era of reform and opening-up and successfully
initiated and developed socialism with Chinese characteristics.
They have continued to unleash
and develop productivity and raise living standards and achieved a historic breakthrough of
leaping from a country with relatively low productivity to the second-largest economy in the
world. The Chinese people have attained the goal of fully building a moderately prosperous
society on the vast land of China and opened up bright prospects for the great rejuvenation of the
Chinese nation. It fully indicates that China’s development itself is the most considerable
contribution made by the country to the world and marks Chinese wisdom in solving the problems
facing humanity.
The Chinese are peace-loving people who have unswervingly followed an independent foreign
policy of peace and resolutely opposed hegemony and power politics. The Chinese People are a
strong supporter of other developing countries in their just struggle to safeguard sovereignty,
security, and development interests. The Chinese people are committed to achieving common
development and have offered the world new opportunities through their development. It fully
indicates that China has both developed itself and benefited the world. It is always a firm
supporter of world peace and joint development.
The UN is a banner of multilateralism. The UN Charter has laid down the cornerstone of the
modern international order and established the basic norms of contemporary international
relations. China firmly maintains that there is only one system in the world, i.e., the UN-centered
international system; only one order, i.e., the international order based on international law; and
only one set of rules, i.e., the basic norms of international relations underpinned by the purposes
and principles of the UN Charter.
For these 50 years, China has faithfully fulfilled its responsibility and mission as a permanent
member of the UN Security Council, stayed true to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter,
and upheld the central role of the UN in international affairs.
Over the past 50 years, China’s cooperation with the UN has kept expanding and deepening. UN
agencies have set up offices in China and conducted fruitful cooperation in a wide range of areas,
including economic development, poverty alleviation, health care, food security, and
environmental protection.
“For these 50 years, the Chinese people have upheld the authority and sanctity of the United
Nations and practiced multilateralism, and China’s cooperation with the United Nations has
deepened steadily,” said President Xi.
Over the past 50 years, China has held to its original aspiration for multilateralism, world peace,
and common development. President Xi has made a solemn promise that standing at a new
historical starting point, China would stay committed to the path of peaceful development and
always be a builder of world peace; China would stay committed to the path of reform and
opening-up and always be a contributor to global development; China would stay committed to
the path of multilateralism and always be a defender of the international order.
China is ready to strive ahead together with all the progressive forces of the world and advocate
peace, development, equity, justice, democracy, and freedom, which are the common values of
humanity. China will continue to make new contributions to upholding the purposes and principles
of the UN Charter, maintaining world peace, and promoting common development and human
progress. It will continue to promote a new type of international relations featuring mutual respect,
fairness and justice, and win-win cooperation and advance the building of a community with a
shared future for mankind.
